Director of Athletic Bands/Associate Director of Bands-Assistant Professor of Instruction

Posted by on February 13, 2018

Set against the backdrop of the Franklin Mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert, The University of Texas at El Paso is located at the heart of the U.S. - Mexico border region in one of the largest bi-national communities in the world. El Paso is a highly livable, bicultural community of almost 700,000 people, which offers affordable homes and attractive neighborhoods. It is consistently ranked as one of the safest large cities in the United States. El Paso enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine annually, and residents engage in outdoor activities year-round. The City of El Paso lies adjacent to the state of New Mexico and the country of Mexico, making it an ideal location for academic programs and research on topics of national interest, including bilingual education/language acquisition, border security and immigration, environmental sustainability and infrastructure, health disparities, and international trade and commerce.

El Paso’s active arts and culture community features the state’s longest running symphony orchestra, a nationally recognized chamber music festival, art galleries, history museums, and a full schedule of seasonal festivals and events. UTEP contributes substantially to El Paso’s arts and entertainment scene with an award-winning dinner theater, music and dance productions, contemporary and student art galleries, and a natural history museum. The University of Texas at El Paso and its “access and excellence” mission are redefining public higher education not only in Texas, but also across the nation. UTEP enrolls 23,922 students – about 80 percent of them Hispanic – and is the only doctoral research university in the nation with a majority Mexican-American student body. UTEP offers a broad array of degree programs – 73 bachelor’s, 75 master’s, and 22 doctoral degrees – taught by outstanding faculty who have been recognized for their commitment to student success. For more information about UTEP, please visit www.utep.edu.

About the Department of Music: The Department of Music offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in performance, music education, theory and composition, and commercial music. The Department provides performance opportunities for music majors and non-majors through a full complement of traditional large instrumental and vocal ensembles, as well as chamber and ethnic ensembles. The Fox Fine Arts Music Building houses a 450-seat performance hall, a state of the art piano lab, commercial music recording studio and computer lab and adequate practice rooms and teaching spaces to accommodate the more than 350 music majors it enrolls annually. The broader UTEP campus offers excellent resources for the advancement of research and creative activities, including the university library’s C. L. Sonnichsen Special Collections Department and 1150-seat Magoffin Auditorium. The athletic bands enjoy performing in the 51,500 seat Sun Bowl Stadium and the 12,000 seat Don Haskins Center. For more information about the department, please visit music.utep.edu.

Job Description:

The Office of Student Affairs and the Department of Music at The University of Texas at El Paso invite applications and nominations for the position of Director of Athletic Bands/Associate Director of Bands. The position carries an 11-month faculty appointment and the possibility of multiple-year renewable contracts, based on successful job performance.

Job responsibilities include three primary areas:

1. Direct the University of Texas at El Paso Marching Band, Pep Band, and Symphony Band, and teach two additional three-credit-hour courses or equivalent based on the candidate’s area of expertise.

2. Work with the Office of Student Affairs as a lead recruiter for the university. This work will involve interfacing with the El Paso community on music-specific activities as well as other university-sponsored activities.

Serve as the lead recruiter for UTEP music programs and facilitate increased engagement with area band, orchestra, choir directors, and other music teachers in the region. Help organize and promote on and off campus events include Brass Day, Day of Percussion, onsite master classes in area schools, guest artist outreach, organizing annual scholarship audition days, and audience development through interfacing with area schools as a clinician and mentor.

Aid the Office of Recruiting and Admissions in recruiting events, including Orange and Blue Day, New Student Orientations, and job fairs.

Develop and expand outreach opportunities in the regional K-12 school system to further nurture the musical talent of El Paso students while motivating, encouraging and recruiting students to UTEP.

3. Work with the Outreach and Student Access Department in its mission to instill postsecondary educational aspirations in youth, increase resources for college readiness in high schools, and improve access to higher education for all students in the greater El Paso borderland region.

Other duties that intersect the three primary areas:

Collaborate with local educators to develop innovative programs, clinics and workshops to encourage and support students’ interest in music and promote a college-going culture.

Facilitate the transition of admitted university students into music programs at UTEP irrespective of their chosen academic major.

Identify and actively participate in community events and programs where the visibility of UTEP’s marching band and pep band can be amplified.

Work collaborative with the Division of Student Affairs, Athletics and the Office of Admissions and Recruitment to enhance UTEP’s image and sense of campus life.

The position reports to the Chair of the Department of Music for all teaching duties and reports to the Vice President of Student Affairs for all recruitment and community engagement activities.

Requirements:

Master’s degree required/doctorate preferred. The successful candidate will have documented experience and a record of success in the areas of college marching band and concert bands or equivalent experience, proficiency in drill writing and music arranging, and successful secondary school recruitment, retention, and teaching experience. Excellent leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills are also essential.

Additional Information:

Hiring decisions are subject to final budget approval.

In keeping with its Access and Excellence mission, the University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity in employment or the provision of services.

(3) Complete contact information for three current professional references

(4) In a Word document, please provide the following links:

video recordings representing performance of candidate conducting in various styles

video recordings representing performance of a marching band where the candidate has been responsible for show development and rehearsal

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Additional materials, including recordings and external letters of evaluation, may be requested at a future date. For questions about the position, please contact Dr. Bradley Genevro, Search Committee Chair for Associate Director of Bands at bgenevro@utep.edu.